Separated in the Scorch
by octogirl
Summary: Sequel to Missing from the Maze. The Gladers have finally escaped WICKED, and now find themselves in the Scorch. After barely making out of one of the Scorch's brutal lightning storms, they find themselves, once again, Newtless. Meanwhile, Newt finds himself captured yet again, and when things start going downhill, he wonders if they'll make it out alive.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this is the sequel to Missing from the Maze, and does include spoilers if you haven't read or watched the Scorch Trials yet. So be warned. To those of you who haven't read that one, don't worry about it. You don't really need to read it for this one if you don't want to. Of course if you do, then please. And to those of you who have read it and supported this sequel, thank you sooo much! I highly appreciate it. I am super sorry that it took so long for me to get this up...However I have my excuses ready. 1, I had already started on a story before the thought of making a sequel even came to mind, so I finished that story first. 2, I had a huge case of writers block that lasted weeks. And 3, I've been out of town for the past three weeks. I know, those are really lame excuses, but they're what I'm sticking with. Anyway, I'm going to shut up now. Enjoy!**

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"Run!" Thomas shouted as a lightning bolt struck right next to him. He ran as hard as he could, but his legs were shaking. He had just seen Winston struck by a lightning bolt, and couldn't get the horrific image out of his head.

The building that they were running to continued to get closer, but it couldn't come closer fast enough. All of the Gladers were running as hard, and as fast as they could. All of them having lightning bolts striking the ground right next to them. After what seemed like forever, they finally reached the building. They ran through an opening in the wall, and just kept going to the back. Thomas and Minho were almost there when a lightning bolt struck.

"Ah!" Minho cried as the electricity hit right next to him, sending him to the ground.

"Minho!" Thomas shouted as his friend rolled around on the ground with his clothes on fire. He ran over, and helped put the fire out before grabbing a now unconscious Minho, and dragging him towards the building. Once he got in, the other Gladers swarmed around, and helped pull Minho farther in.

Frypan ran over to Thomas after the other Gladers had taken Minho. "What happened?" He asked, looking over at Minho.

"Lightning struck right next to him, and set him on fire," Thomas replied. He looked around, then felt a huge pit form in his stomach. "Where's Newt?"

Frypan looked around before his eyes went wide, and he felt the horror too. "I...I don't know."

"Newt!" Thomas half shouted. He didn't want to attract unwanted attention, but he needed to make sure that Newt was with them. "Newt!"

Frypan joined in, and soon the rest of the Gladers did too. The building was filled with the sound of Newt's name, but no Newt. Everyone was desperately searching through the building, and peering out the windows into the storm. But no sign of him.

"Not again," Thomas said to himself. Then he had an idea. ' _Teresa,'_ he called out to her. He stood in the middle of the chaos, and concentrated on calling out to her. ' _Teresa, please. Newt's missing again. We need your help. Please.'_ He waited. Still nothing. After a few more tries, he gave up. At least for now.

Thomas looked over at Minho to see him slowly sitting up, and rubbing his head. He hurried over to Minho, and knelt down by him.

"What the hell is going on?" Minho asked, slightly wincing.

"Newt," Thomas replied. "We can't find him."

Minho's face turned stone cold. He stopped rubbing his head, and stared at Thomas. "What do you mean you can't find him?"

The two just stared at eachother while the other Gladers ran around, calling for Newt. Pretty soon a heavy silence fell over the room. The Gladers had stopped calling, and were now looking to Thomas and Minho. The silence lasted for what seemed like forever. It continued to become heavier, and tenser. It truly was amazing how loud silence could be.

Just when things seemed like they couldn't get any more intense, a loud voice boomed over head, and a man jumped down through a hole in the ceiling. The Gladers backed away, and Tomas and Minho immediately stood up.

"Who are you?" Thomas asked.

"I'll be asking the questions around here," the man said. "Now who are all of you, and why were you making that awful racket?"

After exchanging glances with Minho, Thomas replied. "We're from WICKED, and one of us, Newt, is missing. We lost hi in the storm."

"Well, he's dead. So sorry for your loss. Now, you're from WICKED huh?"

"He's not dead!" Thomas nearly screamed.

"Minho put a hand on Thomas's shoulder. "Slim it, Shank. We can't close off that possibility."

"No. We thought he was last time, and he wasn't." Thomas was about to keep going when a girl walked out from the shadows. She was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen, (at least he was pretty sure she was). But then he remembered Teresa, and his heart sank.

"What seems to be the problem?" he girl asked, standing next to the man.

"These kids are from WICKED," the man half whispered. It was still loud enough for the Gladers to hear, though.

"We lost one of us in the storm," Thomas restated. This girl seemed like she might be the kind to help.

The girl turned back to face the Gladers. "And you think he's still alive?"

Thomas nodded. "Yeah. A similar thing happened a little while ago, but he was still alive.

"Well, I hate to break it to ya, but if you ever get lucky in life, it's only once."

"Brenda," the man said. "These kids are from _WICKED_."

The girl, Brenda, looked at the man, then turned back to the Gladers. "Will you excuse us for a moment? Jorge here, and I need to talk. We'll be right back." The two turned, and walked off, leaving the Gladers just standing there.

A few minutes later, Brenda and Jorge returned. (Jorge with a rather disappointed look on his face.) They exchanged a quick glance, then looked at the Gladers.

"We've decided to help you guys find your friend. If he's still alive," Brenda said.

"We leave first thing tomorrow morning," Jorge added. "You all can sleep here tonight. Just try to stay quiet, and away from the windows."

With that, Brenda and Jorge left once again. The Gladers piled up all the way against the back wall, and squeezed together as the night went from cold to freezing. Thomas found it strange how it was too hot to travel in the day, yet it was freezing cold at night. The world really had been messed up.

* * *

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"

Newt's eyes slowly opened as he was woken up by a horrendously high pitched squeaking. An old light was hanging from the ceiling on an old, squeaky chain. ' _Why must I always wake up to the most annoying, bloody noises?'_ Newt thought as a sharp pain shot through his head. ' _Hold on a minute.'_

Newt opened his eyes all the way, and as he started taking in his surroundings, a burning pain filled his shoulders. Out of pure instinct, his feet found the floor, and he stood up all the way. The burning in his shoulders receded, though they were still sore. His back was against a wall, and his arms were stretched out and chained to the wall. He wondered how long he had been hanging there, but decided that wasn't important at the moment. What was important was that he had been captured, again. But what was even more important was that he had no idea how many Gladers had survived the storm. Especially Winston. He assumed not, though. The poor kid didn't stand a chance.

He took his mind away from the depressing thought, and went back to his surroundings. Plain, gray wall that were covered in dirt. A concrete floor that had holes, cracks, dirt, and other carious things scattered across it. An old, torn, filthy piece of furniture that had probably once been a couch was pushed up against one of the walls, and...Wait...It couldn't be.

A girl was chained to the opposite wall, straight across from Newt, and in the same position as him. But it wasn't just any girl. She was still unconscious, but he knew exactly who she was. That beautiful, brown hair. The gorgeous tanned skin. The girl's eyelids slowly blinked open, revealing those amazing, chestnut eyes. She took a moment to get with it, and check out her surroundings. Then her eyes locked onto Newt's. They both stared at each other for a moment, completely shocked.

"Newt?" She said.

"Esther?"

* * *

 **So there's chapter one. A quick thing that I forgot to add is that this story is going to get a little graphic in future chapters, but if you could read or watch the Scorch Trials then you should be ok with this one. I just wanted to give a quick warning. Pleeeaaassse review! I love to get feedback. It helps so much. Thanks everybody!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for the reviews! And to those who have stuck it out and waited for this to come out, I want to give you guys an extra special thank you! It really means a lot. So, just fyi, I was up till 1:00 am last night at a ballgame, and got up super early this morning just to post this chapter for you. So I will be expecting lot's of reviews on this one. XD Enjoy!**

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Newt and Esther stood, staring at eachother in complete shock. Neither one of them could believe that the other was there. They just couldn't wrap their minds around it. The coincidence that they both would end up in the exact same place, at the exact same time was too unreal.

"What are you doing here?" Newt asked, finally breaking the silence.

"We escaped, and thought that we had been rescued. But it turned out to be WICKED, so we escaped again, and have been searching for the Right Arm. How about you? What are you doing here?"

"Pretty much the same. Escaped the Maze, thought we were rescued, turned out to be WICKED, so escaped again. So what's the Right Arm?"

"It's an organization that helps people who escape from WICKED. You've never heard of them?"

"No. So you mean there were more people that WICKED's used?"

Esther shrugged. "I guess so. That's just what I've heard. I really don't know that much." She looked around, then back at Newt. "So what do you suppose this place is?"

"I don't know," Newt replied, looking around as well. "But something tells me that it isn't good." He lightly shook the short chains that bound his wrists to the wall.

Esther smiled at Newt's fully serious joke. "Yeah. You know, we really need to stop meeting like this."

"I agree. Maybe after we get out of here we can go get some coffee together, or something."

"That would be nice. Maybe we could hit a movie too."

Neither of them remembered what coffee or movies were like, but they knew enough to know that those were the things that people did. Or used to do...When the world was still in one piece.

The two of them slightly laughed at their conversation. They both knew that it wasn't normal to laugh or joke in hostage situations, but there was something about being in eachother's company tat lightened the mood. However, that didn't take away the fear that they both had. It wasn't fear for themselves, but fear for eachother. Both of them remembered the last time, and they were terrified that this would be similar.

"How are your shoulders?" Newt asked after a few moments of silence. He remembered the heart wrenching sound of them being dislocated.

"They're ok," Esther replied. She was shocked that he had asked, but then she remembered how caring he had been. Even with a spike through his leg. "How's your leg?"

"Alright."

The two just stood there, staring at eachother as memories flooded their minds. Newt could see some of Esther's scars, and the images of the knives stabbing into her ran through his mind. And when her shoulders were dislocated. He felt the hate for WICKED well up in him again. But that hate was overtaken by concern. Concern for the other Gladers who were still out there. Concern for Teresa, who he still had no idea what happened to her. Concern for Thomas and Minho, that they would be able to lead the Gladers. And concern of Esther. He didn't know what to expect, but he hoped that whoever had captured them would leave her alone.

Meanwhile, Esther's mind filled up with the images of that spike through Newt's leg. She couldn't see the scar, but somehow knew exactly where it was. She remembered watching as the blowtorch melted his skin. The horrific scenes kept playing through her memories. Hate consumed her. Hate for those scientists. Hate for Kashtin, Fallon, and Jelling. Hate for Ava Paige. Just hate for WICKED all together. She was ready to snap all of their necks.

"So who do you think this is?" Newt asked, breaking the silence. He couldn't take anymore of the replays of Esther's 'tests'.

Esther was relieved when Newt broke the silence. Her head felt like it was going to explode from seeing what WICKED did to him, in her mind. "Don't know," she replied. "Maybe it's those whacked out idiots running around."

"You mean the Cranks? I'm not sure. I don't think they're smart enough to knock us out, and chain us up." However, he didn't totally excuse the thought. There were some Cranks that still somewhat functioned.

"You're right. If it was the Cranks, we'd probably be in pieces spread across the road."

Newt just stared at Esther. He was shocked that she would say something like that. Then again, she had lived through the Maze. "Why do you say that?"

"Don't you know what they are?"

"Umm, I know that they're the infected people." Newt wasn't exactly sure what Esther was trying to get out.

"They're bloody cannibals!"

"What? What do you mean?"

"You don't know what a cannibal is?"

"No, I do. But what makes you say that the Cranks are?"

"We saw it. A whole group of 'em. Just chowing down on some dead person." Esther got shills from the memory. Of all the horrific things that she had seen, that one was, by far, the worst.

Newt's eyes had gone wide. What kind of world was this? He pulled himself together just enough to speak. "So we were taken by WICKED, when we were kids, to be used as lab rats. Thrown into the bloody Maze with no memory of our former life. Taken out of the Maze to be tortured. Thrown back in. Supposedly rescued, which turned out to be WICKED. Finally escape. And now we have buggin cannibals."

"You forgot to add captured again."

"Right. Can't forget that."

"Do I dare ask how much more hell we could possibly go through?"

"I'm having a feeling that we're gonna find out pretty soon."

"Probably."

Even with everything going on, though, neither of them felt any kind of despair or depression. They weren't happy or comfortable by any means, but they both felt calm. Neither of them felt like panicking or freaking out. They were just calm. Concerned? Yes. But calm. Heck! They had been joking about everything. Not too many people would do that in their situation.

They heard the click of a lock unlocking, and the squeaking of the door knob turn. The two exchanged quick glances before the door opened.

* * *

 **So there's chapter two. Like I said earlier, I expect a lot of reviews, so please review! If not, you will be ban from reading any farther. I'm just kidding, but still, please review. Thanks everybody!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everybody! So this is the chapter that has the biggest spoiler in it, so if you haven't read the Death Cure yet, then I do not suggest reading this. Unless you don't mind a little foreshadowing. Anyway, that's all I have to say for this one, so enjoy!**

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A gust of hot air burst into the room as the door opened. Two men walked in, closing and locking the door behind them. The shorter one walked up to Newt, and got up in his face. The man had to stretch abit, though, to get up, seeings how he was slightly shorter than Newt.

"So ," he started. His breath smelled awful. Like he hadn't brushed his teeth in weeks. It also had a hint of smoke and alcohol, too. "You thought you could escape WICKED huh?"

' _No,'_ Newt thought. ' _Don't tell me these guys are WICKED.'_ Newt would have almost preferred Cranks over WICKED. Not having anything to say, he stayed quiet.

"A quiet bunch, huh?" The man continued. "Listen, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. Ok?"

"We don't even know what we're doing here," Esther said, defiance evident in her voice. "Or who you guys are."

"Oh, right. I forgot the introductions. I'm Kahn, and this is Chett." He pointed to the much larger man next to him. "We're with WICKED, and have some questions for you about the Right Arm."

Newt and Esther exchanged glances. Neither of them knew that much about the Right Arm. Newt knew nothing, and Esther only what they were. Nothing more.

"So?" Kahn said impatiently.

"You haven't asked anything yet," Esther replied. They hadn't been in here five minutes, and she was already getting annoyed with him.

Kahn gave a slightly exasperated sigh. "What do you know about the Right Arm?"

"We don't know anything," Newt replied.

"Like I said before, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"Except for that we honestly don't know anything," Esther said.

"Look. I'm an impatient man. Chett here is too." He pointed over to Chett, who gave a huff in agreement. "So I will ask you this one more time. What do you know about the Right Arm?"

Esther and Newt looked at eachother again. This sounded like it was going to go downhill really fast, and neither of them were prepared to watch eachother go through WICKED's torture again. Both of them were trying to come up with something to say, but nothing came to them.

"Well," Kahn said after a short moment. "We tried to be nice, but if you won't talk willingly..." He pulled out a knife, and rubbed his thumb over the rusty edge. "We'll just have to force it outta ya." A heart stopping grin spread across his face. He started to walk towards Esther, his blade rusty and brutal looking.

"Wait!" Newt said desperately. These people were not going to hurt her again. "WICKED still needs us. right?" So I'm pretty sure that they won't let you guys do this."

The two men looked at eachother, and gave a slight laugh. "They still need the rest of your groups," Kahn replied. "You two are useless to them. That's why we took both of you instead of the others."

Esther and Newt stared at Kahn in confusion. Everybody had been telling them that they were important. That they were all needed. And now these two were telling them that they were useless? Just when things seemed like they couldn't get more confusing, they did.

"What do you mean?" Esther asked.

Kahn let out another small chuckle, and got closer to Esther than she would have cared for. "Let me tell you a little secret. Your groups are immune to the Flare." He backed up, and looked back and forth between Esther and Newt. "That's why they're so valuable to WICKED. You two however..." He grinned, and paused for effect. "Aren't. You guys probably already have it anyway. So just make it easier on all of us, and tell me what you know about the Right Arm."

Esther an Newt stood there in shock for a moment. They tried to comprehend everything that Kahn had just told them. What did he mean they weren't immune? They were useless? They had the Flare? They were useless? There were too many questions, and no answers.

"Wait," Newt finally said. "So we're completely useless?"

"Yup," Kahn replied bluntly.

"All that hell that you put us through was for nothing?" Esther was getting really mad now.

"Yup."

"Then why did you put us in the bloody Maze?" Newt was getting on edge now, too.

"More variables, or what not." Kahn replied, casually rubbing his thumb along the blade of the knife. "I don't really know. I don't work in that facility. I'm just one of their field agents who takes care of the crazies."

Esther and Newt were speechless. They had so many names for these people, but couldn't form the words. So they just stood there in shock and confusion.

"But enough about that," Kahn said after a short pause. "We've answered your questions, and now it's time for you to answer ours." He grinned, and held up the knife.

* * *

Jorge, Brenda, and the Gladers had headed out early that morning. All of them had wrapped rags around their faces to keep the sand out, and were sweating like crazy. It seemed to be an especially hot day today, but every day felt like that in the Scorch.

After a couple hours of pushing through the hot winds, the group sat down in the shelter of an abandoned building. Or, at least what use to be a building. Of course, now it was just the frame, and whatever little bit of drywall had managed to hold on.

Thomas saw Brenda sitting against a wall by herself, and decided to go join her.

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to her.

"Hey," she replied. "How you doing?"

"Alright. You?" He could feel things starting to get awkward, but he tried.

"Fine."

They sat there in an awkward silence for abit. neither of them really knew what to say, so they just sat there.

"So who exactly are we looking for?" Brenda asked, breaking the silence.

"Newt. He was one of the first who ended up in the Maze. Both him and Minho have been leading us out here." Thomas knew that he wasn't explaining it very well, but the heat was getting to him. At least that's what he was blaming it on. Plus Newt was one who was hard to describe. There just weren't words to explain who Newt was.

"So he's pretty important then?"

"Yeah. He's one of the most important Shanks here."

"Shank? What does that mean?"

"Umm..." Thomas had forgotten that she wasn't from the Glade. "I'm not exactly sure. It's just something that we call eachother."

Brenda didn't question it any farther. She just simply nodded. "We'll find him."

"Yeah. And thanks...For all the help."

Brenda gave him a nod, stood up, and walked away.

After a few more minutes, Jorge called for them to get moving again. Everybody got up, and headed back out into the smoldering heat. It was getting later, so it had cooled off abit, but it was still extremely hot.

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 **So there's chapter three. Please please please review! I would love to know what you like/dislike about this story and it's OCs. Feedback is a crucial part in a writer's life. At least that's what I believe. I don't know about anyone else. So please review! Thanks everybody!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! This chapter is where we start getting to the good stuff, so be prepared. Enjoy!**

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Kahn started walking up to Newt, the evil grin across his face, and blade in hand. Newt just stayed silent, glaring at Kahn as he walked up. Newt realized that no matter what they said, this would still happen.

"Hang on!" Esther exclaimed as Kahn was starting to cut Newt's shirt off.

Kahn gave an exasperated sigh, and turned to look at her. "What now?"

"He knows nothing about the Right Arm. I do."

Kahn raised his eyebrows, and walked over to Esther. "You do?"

"No," Newt interrupted. "She doesn't."

Kahn ignored him, and just lightly ran his blade down the side of Esther's face. "Well then. Why don't you start talkin'?"

Esther kept her expression strong and defiant. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, because she really didn't know anything. But she was not going to watch Newt get tortured again.

"I never said that I was gonna talk," she said. Maybe she could just keep his attention on her.

"Oh, but I think you will." Kahn put the blade of his knife back on her cheek, and pressed threateningly.

"You're pretty positive for a guy who's living surrounded by freaking zombies." She kept the strength and defiance on her face as he pressed harder.

Kahn just smirked at her, and pressed just hard enough to gain a small trickle of blood. "You think that you're so smart, but you're just a stupid little girl."

Something in Newt snapped, and he started fighting against his chains. "Get away from her, you Shuck Face!" Newt had never said anything like that before, but seeing Esther bleed again, plus hearing Kahn insult her like that, he just couldn't keep it in.

Kahn slowly turned around after leaving a small cut on Esther's cheek. "I don't speak your language, but I'm assuming that was an insult."

Newt gave him a hard glare. He knew that it was just a small cut, but there was just something about seeing Esther bleed again that caused anger to boil up inside of him. His whole body was tense, and veins were starting to pop out of his neck.

Esther stared at him in shock. What had caused such a dramatic change in him? She barely even recognized him.

"That probably wasn't the best move." Kahn gave a really creepy grin.

Esther's eyes widened as she noticed Kahn's grip on the knife to change. She had a pretty good idea of what he was planning.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Kahn threw the knife at Newt. The blade pierced straight through his hand with surprising precision. Everything seemed to freeze in that moment, as Kahn started laughing He had been waiting to do that quit a while.

All that Esther could do was just stare. She was speechless. This was now the second time that she had witnessed something go through Newt. Anger and hate slowly started to boil up inside her, causing her to feel like a time bomb about ready to explode.

It happened so fast that it took Newt a moment to realize what had just happened. He had seen Kahn throw the knife, but hadn't comprehended that it had actually gone through his hand until the sharp, burning pain struck. He felt his hand begin to throb, and, regrettingly, looked over to see it pinned against the wall with the knife. His hand started shaking uncontrollably as blood started pouring from the wound, and down the wall. His breath became shaky as the intense, throbbing pain coursed through his hand, and up his arm.

"You sick creature! Esther finally screamed, fighting her restraints. She really wanted to strangle this guy to death.

Chett slapped her across the face, but that didn't stop her. There was too much anger and desperation welling up in her. She had seen plenty of horrific things that made her hate these people, but watching them put Newt in any kind of pain just turned her into a grenade.

Kahn turned around , and grabbed Esther by the throat. He pinned her against the wall, tightening his grip slightly. "You want a knife in your hand too?"

"Get your bloody hands off her," Newt said through gritted teeth.

Kahn took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. He was really starting to get angry. "Then why don't you start talkin'." He tightened his grip on Esther as the frustration boiled up in him.

"Ok. Just let go of her."

Kahn tightened his grip on Esther all the way, cutting off her airway, before releasing. Esther bent over, gasping for air. She was starting to get terrified due to the tension in the room.

Between the knife in Newt's hand, and the tension, it was obvious that this was going to be worse than what happened in the lab. These guys were whacked in the head fro working with Cranks for so long, and clearly weren't afraid to use any kind of method. Hell, they probably were Cranks! Esther realized that there was no way out of this, because they didn't have the information that these two wanted. Newt realized this too, and gave Esther a sad glance. He wasn't ready to watch her be tortured by these two brutes.

Kahn walked up to Newt, and got up in his face. "So? Start talkin'."

"I swear, we know nothing," Newt replied, trying not to make a face. Kahn's breath smelled like smoke, alcohol, and like he hadn't brushed his teeth in decades.

Kahn placed his hand on the handle of the knife. "I'm really getting tired of your little games. If you don't start talkin', well, let's just say that things are gonna get ugly."

He slightly moved the knife from side to side. Newt grimaced, but didn't make a sound. It hurt worse than one would think, but he could take it. It was only a knife in his hand after all.

"Please," Esther said. Her voice was no longer hard, but more desperate. "We know absolutely nothing."

Giving an exasperated sigh, Kahn pulled the knife out of Newt's hand without warning. He rubbed his thumb through the blood on the knife, examined it, then looked up at the two.

"Ok. I'm done asking, so when either of you want to say something just pipe up," Kahn explained, wiping the knife on Newt's shirt.

Newt had let out a small, surprised gasp when Kahn pulled the knife out. Hid hand hung limp by the chains, and throbbed uncontrollably. It was also pouring out blood, which dripped on the floor. He knew that there was no way he could protect Esther from this, so he decided to stay quiet through the whole thing, not wanting to make things worse.

All Esther could do was stare at Newt's blood covered hand. There was no stopping this. That much was clear. She just didn't know how much she could watch Newt go through. Memories of what happened at the lab flooded her mind, and despair washed over her as she realized that this was going to be way worse.

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 **So, how did you guys like it? Finally getting into the good stuff. Please let me know through reviews. I would also love to know what you're thinking of Kahn and Chett so far. I nearly beat up the pages as I wrote this because they got so annoying sometimes. And I'm the one writing it! Funny how that happens. Anyway, please review! Let me know what you guys are thinking of it so far. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I don't really have a whole lot to say on this one, so we'll just jump right in. As always, enjoy!**

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They had been walking through the Scorch for hours, and night was beginning to fall. Temperatures had become drastically cooler, so the group stayed bundled up in the old rags...Even if there was sand in unpleasant places.

Thomas and Minho stayed up at the front with Brenda and Jorge. Nobody said much, except for Thomas and Minho who would whisper something to eachother every once in a while. There was one spot that Thomas had thought he had seen Teresa with a group of girls, but figured it was just a mirage.

Jorge came to a sudden stop, and put his hand up, signaling for the others to do the same. Brenda looked over at him with a questioning look on her face as a heavy silence fell over the group.

"What's going on?" Thomas whispered.

"Sh," Jorge sharply replied.

A distant, horrible noise suddenly broke the silence. It sounded like some kind of creature screaming. Then the noise filled the air again. Only, there were multiple screams, like multiple creatures screaming.

"Run!" Brenda shouted.

The group took off after Brenda and Jorge, but Thomas had caught a glance of something. It was only a silhouette, but it was hunched and running. He remembered the horrifying people that had called themselves Cranks, and figured that's what these were.

"Cranks?" Thomas called up to Brenda.

"A gang of them!" Brenda replied.

The Cranks continued to get closer to the group as they ran. It surprised everybody how fast these things were, but that wasn't very helpful. Pretty soon, one of the Cranks got close enough, and tackled one of the Gladers to the ground. Agonized screams filled the air as a few other Cranks gathered around.

"Keep running!" Jorge shouted, noticing a few of the Gladers slow down. "There's nothing we can do for him!"

The Gladers followed Jorge and Brenda, not slowing their pace. It felt like they had been running for forever trying to get away from these gruesome creatures. Agonized screams filled the air as Cranks were able to take a couple more Gladers down. A large building came into view, and Jorge led the group straight into it, hoping to lose the Cranks in here.

"Scatter!" He ordered before disappearing with Brenda.

Thomas and Minho stuck together, and sprinted for a pipe that was hanging from the ceiling. They jumped, grabbed it, and pulled themselves over just as the Cranks entered the building. The pipe surprisingly held both of them, even though it was in a broken down building.

Thomas and Minho slowed their breathing as they both anxiously waited in a front support on the pipe. The tried to keep their feet high, and stay in the shadows as the Cranks searched the building. Thomas cringed as a scream could be heard echoing throughout the broken down building. He looked over at Minho to see him staring straight ahead, a depressed and angered look on his face.

Finally the Cranks left, and everybody met back up. At least the ones that were still there. The group was noticeably smaller, (not that there were that many to begin with).

"Is everyone alright?" Brenda asked.

The Gladers gave a solemn nod. They were all becoming really depressed from all the losses, but understood that it was their life now.

"Good. Let's bunker down here for the night," Jorge said before grabbing Brenda's arm, and, once again, disappearing with her.

The Gladers bunched up in a corner, and fell into a light, terrified sleep. Except for Thomas, who stayed up reaching out to Teresa. He was desperate to find out what was going on, where she was, why she was completely gone.

* * *

Kahn cut off Newt's shirt, letting the knife knick him here or there. Esther glared at Kahn with pure hate until Newt's shirt was off. Then a girl moment came over her, and she found herself staring at Newt's toned torso and chest. She looked away for a moment to clear her mind, then went back to glaring at Kahn.

Chett took a quick glance outside, then gave a grunt. Kahn looked over at him, then looked outside and nodded.

"Ok kiddos," Kahn said, putting the knife away. "You two got lucky for tonight. We'll be back tomorrow, and I won't be asking questions. So if you decide you wanna say somethin', then I suggest you say it right away."

With that, Kahn and Chett walked out, turning the light out as they left. The room was drenched in darkness, with just barely enough light coming in through the small window to see shadows of figures. Silence surrounded the room as well, which amplified the sporadic cries of the Cranks.

"Newt?" Esther quietly said after a while.

"Yeah?" Newt replied. The pain in his hand was all that he could feel now, which made his voice shaky. Not having a shirt on in the cold night of the Scorch didn't help the shakiness either.

"Are you scared?" Esther wasn't one who ever got scared, but she was terrified for what they were going to do to Newt.

"Yeah." Of course he never got scared either, but he had no idea what these two barbarians were planning. And he knew what sick guys like them do to girls. "Are you?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking that this is gonna be a hell of a lot worse than at the lab."

"Probably." He wanted to comfort her, but there was no point in lying. They both knew that all hell was going to break loose when the sun came up. "I guess we'll have to ride it out until it's over."

"You know that this isn't gonna be like the Maze, right? We're useless to them, which means that when it's over...It's _over._ "

"Yeah. I was ignoring that part, though."

"Good idea." She gave a small sigh before breaking out into a coughing fit.

"You ok?" Newt asked in a worried voice.

"Yeah," Esther replied after she caught her breath. "I'm fine." She looked down, and saw a liquid substance on the ground that was reflecting the light coming in. ' _Crap,'_ she thought, tasting blood in her mouth. She tried to wipe her face off, but the chains made it hard to reach.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Esther felt a burning sensation in her back, and remembered the night that her group had been attacked by Cranks. She hadn't thought that any of them had gotten her, but feeling the burning on her back she figured they had. But she wasn't going to tell Newt. At least not yet. "How are you doing? With...You know..."

"Alright. The cold is numbing it." The numbing honestly made it hurt worse, but Esther didn't need to know that.

"That sounds painful." The cold, concrete wall was numbing the gash on her back, and it wasn't making it feel too good. So she figured his hand couldn't be feeling that great either.

"It's not that bad." A heavy silence fell over the room, so Newt decided to try and lighten things up abit. "So have you heard of any good movies that are out?"

"What?"

"We were planning on doing coffee and a movie after this, right?"

Esther smiled, and slightly laughed, remembering their conversation when they first woke up here. "Thinking about it, I have heard of one that sounded interesting."

"Really? What's it about?"

"Well, there's these scientists who take a bunch of teens, and throw the into a huge, killer Maze. They test them, or whatever, and wipe out most of them, but then the teens break out, and beat the crap out of all the scientists. Then they go, and live their lives like normal people."

"That sounds like an awesome movie. Especially the part about beating the crap out of the bloody scientists."

"Yeah. That part should be pretty epic."

The two talked the whole night, making 'plans' for what they would do when they were free. Of course, none of it was ever going to happen, but it made them both feel better.

* * *

 **And there's chapter five. Pleeeaaassse review! I would still love to know what you all are thinking of this so far. Or if you have questions, or anything like that. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! So I don't have much to say for this one either, so enjoy!**

* * *

The sun came up all too soon the next day. Esther and Newt hadn't realized that they had talked all night until Kahn and Chett burst in. It was amazing how depressed two people could make somebody.

True to his word, Kahn said absolutely nothing. He gave the two an expectant look as he pulled out his knife, but said absolutely nothing. He walked up to Newt with an evil grin, while Chett stood watching, cross armed.

"How's that hand doing today?" Kahn asked in a chilling tone.

Newt just glared at him, a defiant look in his eye. There was nothing to be said anymore. Esther anxiously watched, terrified of what would play out.

"Choosing to be quiet today hmm?" Kahn said. "Ok then."

Kahn stabbed the knife into Newt's shoulder without breaking eye contact. Esther cringed, remembering when Dr. Jelling had done that to her. The only thing worse than watching Newt be tortured was watching Newt be tortured, and know what it feels like. Chett just stood there, a thin grin across his face. He loved watching people suffer.

Newt didn't move, or make a sound. He kept glaring at Kahn with that defiant look. It hurt like hell, but his hand made it feel like a scratch.

Kahn raised an eyebrow, and smirked at Newt. He wouldn't admit it, but he was impressed. Newt was a lot stronger than he had expected, but that just meant that he got to torture him even harder. Kahn started to twist the knife in an agonizingly slow manner, and grinned even bigger as blood started gushing out. This was the perfect day for him.

Newt slightly grimaced, but tried to hide the pain. He wouldn't show any signs of weakness to these people. Not that this should be a weakness. He had survived the freaking Maze for crying out loud! Then again, the Maze hadn't stabbed things into him.

Oh wait...It had!

After twisting the knife two whole circles in Newt's shoulder, Kahn pulled the blade out. After that, he slashed Newt all over his chest and stomach. By the time he was finished, Newt's entire torso was covered in deep gashes and blood. Not to mention his hand, which still had blood pouring out of it too.

Esther felt paralyzed as she watched the scene infront of her. Seeing Newt like this just ripped her to shreds. How could people be this cruel? What kind of sick world was this!? She had erupted into multiple coughing fits while Kahn was cutting Newt up, each time coughing up blood. She hoped that nobody had noticed, but Chett had. He had also noticed the gash on her back.

"Chett," Kahn said when he had finished. "You wanna have some fun with him?"

Chett grunted a response, and walked up to Newt. Newt looked up at the large man, shaking and sweating. His body burned, and he figured that the blade had been dipped in something to make it the burning worse.

Without a sound, Chett began pounding Newt. He delivered hard punches to Newt's face and stomach, being sure to hit the gashes. He used all the force that he possessed to beat the living daylights out of the teen. It had been a while since he had gotten to beat the crap out of somebody, and he was loving every minute of it. Of course, he stayed expressionless.

"No," Esther whispered under her breath. Everytime Chett punched Newt it felt like he was punching her in the heart. She didn't know how much more she could watch. Her body got tenser with every blow, until she erupted into another coughing fit, coughing up more blood than normal.

Finally Chett finished. He backed away, cracking his knuckles which were covered in blood...Newt's blood. He grunted a laugh as he took a good look at his handiwork.

Newt was hanging from the chains, unable to hold himself up. His whole body was smeared in blood, and deep bruises were already forming. Everywhere burned, ached, and throbbed like you know what, and breathing hurt like hell. It burned so bad to inhale, and it felt like somebody was stabbing a knife deep into his chest to exhale. So his breathing was short, raspy, and shallow.

"Now for the lovely miss," Kahn said, walking towards Esther.

Newt wanted to protest but he knew that it would only make things worse.

"Say, you're not lookin' too good," Kahn said mockingly as he approached Esther.

It was true, though. There was blood on the floor infront of her, on her shirt, and a little still on her mouth. Her eyes were dark and puffy, and her lips were starting to turn purple.

Newt looked up, and couldn't believe that he hadn't knoticed it earlier. She looked terrible, clearly infected. Though she hadn't looked quite this bad that morning. The Flare was moving faster through her than most, and she was going downhill rather quickly. Then the realization hit him...She was dying.

"You have to help her," Newt said. His voice was weak, but it was desperate.

"Sorry kid," Kahn replied with a laugh. "Even if I wanted to, which I don't, I wouldn't be able to. There's no help for her. But, if you tell me what I want to know, then I'll let you two go, and she can die in peace."

"I swear, we know nothing about the bloody Right Arm. If I did, I would tell you." He wasn't lying. If it meant even the slightest possibility of getting Esther help, he would do anything.

"Wrong answer."

Kahn lifted the back of Esther's shirt, and jabbed the knife into the gash on her back. Esther clenched her teeth, and arched forward. The pain was unreal but she wasn't about to let these two brutes know that.

"Can't you see she's already in enough pain?!" Newt exclaimed. The lack of sympathy that these two had was really maddening.

"You can stop this," Kahn replied, shoving the knife deeper into her back.

"We know nothing! I would bloody tell you everything, but we know nothing!"

Kahn pulled the knife out, and Esther erupted into the biggest coughing fit yet, coughing up a lot of blood. Kahn took a step back, with a grin on his face as he watched. This was way too entertaining.

Newt's breath was taken from him. Esther was suffering, and he couldn't do anything about it. He wanted to take this away from her. He wanted to get her help.

Esther's coughing fit ended, leaving a small stream of blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth. Her legs had given out on her, so she was now hanging from the chains, leaning forward trying to catch her breath. The gash on her back was bleeding pretty heavily as it burned like a million hot needles. Her breath was dangerously shallow, and her veins could be seen turning a sick, purplish color.

"Ok," Kahn finally said. "These two aren't gonna say anything."

Chett smiled, and pulled out a gun. He had been waiting for this.

"No," Kahn said. "She's already dying, and he won't last the night. Let's go."

Chett grunted in agreement. He was disappointed, but the thought of the two teens suffering longer made hi feel better. Especially the thought of Newt being ripped apart by the Cranks. He kind of wanted to stick around just for that.

Kahn unchained Esther and Newt, letting them drop to the ground. "Enjoy the neighbors," he said with an evil grin. Then he and Chett disappeared out the door.

* * *

 **Sooo, what do you guys think? Do you like, dislike? Please let me know! Thanks guys!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everybody! So we're at the end of our story. Only one more chapter after this. I really hope you all have liked it! So here's chapter seven. Enjoy!**

* * *

A gust of cold night air rushed through the room as Kahn and Chett left, sending s chill down Newt. He ignored it, and continued to pull himself over to Esther. She was the only thing on his mind, making the rest of his pain disappear. He was desperate to get to her.

Esther was laying in a puddle of her own blood, barely breathing. There was so much junk blocking her airway, and she could feel fluid in her lungs making her feel like she was drowning. Everything ached, and he eyes burned like she had been staring into the sun

Finally Newt reached her. He propped himself up against the wall, and gently pulled her onto his lap.

"Newt," she said in a barely audible, shaky voice. "You need to stay away from me. You'll get infected."

"Nothing's gonna keep me away from you," Newt replied, brushing some of her hair out of her face.

Esther tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. A terrible scream could be heard in the distance, and Esther's face became filled with concern. "You need to get out of here."

"I already told you, nothing's gonna keep me away from you." He wouldn't leave her, no matter what.

"But the Cranks."

"I don't care. I'm not leaving you."

"Newt." She reached a cold, trembling hand up, and touched the side of his face. "I'm already dead. You still have a chance."

Newt placed his hand over hers, and softly pulled it down, but kept it in his. "Don't talk like that. You're not dead. We're going to make it out."

Esther slowly shook her head, a tear trailing down her cheek. She wanted hi to get out of there. "Please Newt."

Newt wiped her tear away, and looked into her eyes. "I won't leave you." He leaned down, and softly kissed her on the lips.

Esther's breath was taken from her as he kissed her. But it was in a good kind of breathtaking way. She kissed him back, feeling her body fill with warmth despite the icy air. A couple more tears fell down her cheek.

Newt pulled his lips away from hers, but still stayed close. "I love you, Esther," he whispered. He knew that it was crazy, seeings as they had only met once before, but he wasn't kidding. He loved her with a passion that he was sure he would never feel again.

Esther gazed into his eyes, and felt her heart burst at his words. "I love you too." She raised her head so that their lips met again.

Newt leaned down so that she could rest her head back again. They continued kissing until Esther pulled away, and erupted into a cough attack. Newt helped her sit up so that she wouldn't suffocate herself. When she finished, he laid her back down, and gently wiped the blood off her mouth. Another scream could be heard, slightly closer than the first, but Newt ignored it.

Esther's breath became shallower. "Newt, you have to get out of here. Please."

Newt just shook his head. He wouldn't leave her. The Cranks could have him, because he didn't care. All that he cared about was her. Nothing else.

Esther's breathing just kept getting shallower and shorter. They sat there in silence for an eternity it felt. Despite the pain, Esther felt warm and comfortable in Newt's arms. She almost forgot about everything, just looking up at him.

Newt never moved his eyes from Esther. She was a beautiful, heartbreaking sight that he never wanted to let go of. She had brought light into his dark, lonely world, and now she was dying. How could this world be so evil? Why? She didn't deserve this.

Esther's breath became shaky, and he could feel her start shaking like she was almost having a seizure. He started gently rubbing her arm in a comforting way as she started gasping for air.

"Shh," he said softly. "It's ok."

Esther calmed down abit. She was still shaking, but not as bad. Her breath was weak, and Newt could barely tell if she was breathing or not. She looked up into his eyes, and didn't look at anything else. Newt met her eyes, and tried to comfort her. He tried not to let his sadness come out, but it was so hard. Seeing her like this was the worst thing he had ever experienced.

"You're ok," he said, softly rocking her. "It's all going to be ok."

Esther gave him one more small smile, before her eyes slowly started to close. She drew in one last, shaky breath, and exhaled the last of her air.

Newt nearly choked on his own breath as he felt her go limp in his arms. She was gone. She was really gone. The world had taken so much from him already. His home. His family. His best friend. And now it had taken Esther too...His love. Newt pulled Esther closer to him. He couldn't pull his eyes away from her lifeless body. All her light, her strength, taken away. Just like that.

Screams from the Cranks could be heard, but he didn't care. He didn't care if the Cranks took him. For the first time, he felt truly hopeless. The pain of losing Esther trumped his physical pain. Or any pain that he had ever felt before, actually. So he just sat there, in the cold night, holding Esther.

* * *

 **So there's chapter seven. I know, I suck at writing romantic death scenes. But, in my defense, this was my very first attempt at it. (Lame excuse right?) But I swear, I had not planed on killing Esther. I got the idea, and let's just say that I lost control of the pencil after that. It sounds weird, but it's true. So anyway, please let me know what you guys think! I always love all of your feedback! Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! We have finally reached our last chapter. I really hope that you all have liked this so far. I would like to give a special thank you to those of you who have stuck it out, and waited for this. It really means a lot, so thank you. So here it is, the last chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

The screaming of the Cranks continued to get closer, and there were more of them. The night got colder with frigid winds that blew through the window. But Newt didn't hear or feel any of it. All that he could think about was the lifeless body in his arms.

Running footsteps could be heard approaching, which got Newt's attention. He laid Esther in a dark corner, hiding her in the shadows. Then he watched the door as the footsteps came closer. He still didn't have the strength to stand, but he was prepared to protect Esther at any cost.

The screams could be heard coming rapidly closer, but the footsteps were just outside the building. Then the door burst open, and two figures ran in. Was it...Thomas and Minho? Newt froze in place. He couldn't believe that it was actually them. How did they find him?

"Holy crap, Newt!" Thomas exclaimed, seeing his friend's condition.

Screams could now be heard just outside of the building, both from the Cranks and the Gladers. Newt was still paralyzed in shock, but soon snapped out of it.

Brenda ran up to the door frame, and looked in, knife in hand. "Is he here?"

"Yeah," Thomas replied, wrapping one of Newt's arms around his shoulders while Minho grabbed the other.

"Then let's go! We'll be getting more company soon!"

Thomas and Minho hoisted Newt up, and started heading for the door. It took Newt a moment to comprehend what was going on, but he remembered Esther, who was still in the corner.

"Wait!" He exclaimed as he started trying to get free from Thomas and Minho. "She's still in here!"

Thomas and Minho grabbed Newt tighter so that he couldn't get away. They got out of the building, and the screams of the fight that was going on blocked out what Newt was trying to say. Thomas and Minho remembered him doing this same thing the first time, so they just made sure that he couldn't get away. They still had no idea about Esther.

"No!" Newt exclaimed, now thrashing in their grasp. "She's still in there!"

Jorge saw Thomas and Minho come out, and turned to the rest of the group who was fighting the Cranks. "Let's go!"

The Gladers sprinted into a full retreat as Thomas and Minho followed with Newt thrashing in their grasp.

"No!" Newt kept shouting. "She's still in there! We have to go back for her!" He looked back to see a bunch of Cranks enter the building. "No!"

"Shut him up!" Jorge called back. "Unless you wanna let the whole Crank community know where we are!"

"Newt, calm down," Thomas tried. "You're out of there. It's all ok now."

"No!" Newt could hear the cries of victory coming from the Cranks, and knew exactly what they were doing. Finally he fell in defeat, letting Thomas and Minho drag him away. It was over. She was gone, and now the Cranks had her.

The group made it to another torn down building, where they bunkered down for the night. Thomas and Minho slept on either side of Newt to make sure that he didn't go anywhere. The group was considerably smaller now, having lost at least three more in the Gladers in the fight.

Newt couldn't sleep that night. His body was exhausted, but his mind wouldn't rest. All he could see was Esther. She was never given the chance at a happy, or normal life. Not that those things existed anymore, but still. She deserved better, and yet became entertainment for sick whack jobs, and a meal for infected cannibals. Why did this world have to be so evil and cruel? Newt looked out at the Gladers, and realized that he would have to take this like all the other casualties. Mourn in the moment, then move on and survive. But how could he? He would be mourning Esther for a long time, but he would keep it to himself. The other Gladers didn't need to know.

The next day everybody woke up roughly around the same time. Jorge proposed that they stay in the building until Newt healed enough to travel, and nobody protested. They were all happy to stay in the shelter of the building for a while.

None of the Gladers came up to Newt. They murmered amongst eachother, but didn't say much. Some of them tried not to stare, while others didn't try to hide it, and just stared Newt up and down Newt didn't care, though. He barely even noticed.

Brenda silently bandaged him to the best of her abilities with using the small first aid kit that they had brought. She knew that she should have more sympathy towards Newt, but after everything that she had been through, not much affected her. Although she still felt bad for him, and wished that there was more that she could do. When she finished, she left to talk some things over with Jorge. They had decided to help the Gladers get to the Right Arm.

"So," Thomas finally said. "What happened."

"WICKED," Newt replied. "They wanted information about the Right Arm."

"Brenda told us abit about the Right Arm. I think they're gonna help us find them."

Newt flinched, but tried to hide it. He blamed WICKED for Esther's death, but he also put part blame on the Right Arm since they were the ones that WICKED wanted to know about. "Who is this Brenda and the other guy?"

"Long story short, we ran into them after the storm, and they agreed to help us find you."

"They tortured you for information?" Minho asked, turning the conversation back to what happened to Newt.

Newt nodded, his face turning stone cold as he remembered everything that had happened. If he ever saw Kahn or Chett again, it would be all he could do not to strangle them. He didn't normally have those thoughts, but after what they di to Esther...

"What is it with these shuck faces and torturing you?" Thomas muttered angrily.

"But why would they leave you for dead?" Minho asked. "I thought they said we were important to them. Needed."

Newt just shrugged. Thomas and Minho didn't need to know that he wasn't immune, and probably already had the Flare. They would deal with that when it came about, and no sooner. A few days went by, and Newt's gashes continued to heal. By some miracle, nothing had been infected, so he was ready to travel within a few days. His heart was sill an empty pit, but he decided to focus on the Gladers and keeping them safe. He put on his positive, leading attitude that he always had on the outside, but at night he stayed up with nightmares, still mourning. But nobody would ever know.

There was one night, though, that he had separated himself from the group. He needed to be alone. He was sitting up against a wall when he felt a presence next to him. Looking over, he saw Esther sitting next to him.

"Esther?" He whispered.

She smiled at him, and grabbed his hand. There was a strange glow about her, but Newt just thought that it made her look even more beautiful. Although, he hadn't thought that was possible.

Esther leaned over, kissing him on the lips. He kissed her back, feeling the love he had for her come back up. Her lips felt different, with an unusual warm softness, but he liked it. She pulled away, and leaned against him, so Newt wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. Of course, in the morning she would be gone, but Newt didn't think about that. He just stayed in that moment, never wanting to let her go. So he decided that he wouldn't. He would hold onto her forever, and nobody could change that.

* * *

 **So there's our last chapter. I tried to give you guys somewhat of a happy ending, but that was quite the challenge for this one. This had come out a whole lot more depressing than I had expected, but when you lose control... Anyway, pleeeaaassse please please review! I would really love to know what you all thought of this. And for those of you who have read Missing from the Maze, how did this one go along with it as a sequel? I didn't repeat myself too much did I? Please let me know. Thank you all sooo much!**


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